Container with opening feature

ABSTRACT

A container with a diagonal tear-line extending across one panel, allowing the entire end to be opened for ease of access to the contents. The opening panel may be formed of overlapping panels, and the upper panel may have a lift-tab to allow the overlapped panels to be opened more easily. The free edges of the upper and lower end closure panels may be cut diagonally to allow nesting of the blank on the web.

United States Patent Schillinger [54] CONTAINER WITH OPENING FEATURE [72] Inventor: Joseph F. Schilllnger, Palos Hills, 111.

[73] Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, Wash.

[22] Filed: April 9, 1971 21 Appl. No; 132,850

521 u.s.c1. ..229/51TS,229/DIG.9 51 1m.c1... ..B65d 5 54 58 FieldofSearch ..229/5lTS,5lTC,5lSC,5lD,

229/51 ST, 51 R [56 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,881,968 4/1959 lnman ..229/5l TS UX 51 July 25, 1972 3,361,332 1/1968 Mason ..229/5lTS Primary Examiner-D0nald F. Norton Attorney-Patrick D. Coogan, John M. Crawford, Stuart A. Heller and Bryan C. Ogden [57] ABSTRACT A container with a diagonal tear-line extending across one panel, allowing the entire end to be opened for ease of access to the contents. The opening panel may be formed of overlapping panels, and the upper panel may have a lift-tab to allow the overlapped panels to be opened more easily. The free edges of the upper and lower end closure panels may be cut diagonally to allow nesting of the blank on the web.

1 1 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures BEST AVAILABLE COPY .124

SHEEZ? 1 OF 4 //v VEN TOR, JOSEPH E SCH/LL/NGEF.

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M/E/WOA, JOSEPH E SCH/LL/NGER BACKGROUND, OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention A container which has an opening feature allowing access to the contents, and is formed from a blank which may be cut to allow nesting of the blanks on the web.

2. Description of the Prior An Typical approaches to the opening of a container are shown in Byrne US. Pat. No. 1,020,536 issued Mar. 19, 1912; Guyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,812 issued June 20, 1944; Grapp US. Pat. No. 3,065,896 issued Nov. 27, 1962; and Andrews et al. US. Pat. No. 3,214,079 issued Oct. 26, 1965. Often, the direction of pull will cause the tear strip to tear in two before the container is opened. Thereafter, opening the container is difficult. The straight tear strip may also bend back and tear during container formation because it is in line with the direction of container movement during the gluing and closing of the container.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The closure has a diagonal tear line which allows it to be torn in the usual direction of pull when opening a container. This means that it is opened more easily than other containers. The diagonal shape of the tear line also allows the blank to be cut so that it can be nested on the web and use less board, and prevents tearing or breaking of the closure panel along the tear line during the gluing and closing operations. The diagonal line is not aligned with the container movement and therefore does not bend.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank for the container.

FIG. 2 is an isometricview showing the upper dust flaps in position and the closure panels bent outwardly to receive the adhesive.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the closed container.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view showing the container opened.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modified blank.

I FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the set-up and closed con tainer formed from the blank of FIG. 5.

FIG.- 7 is an isometric view showing the container of FIG. 6 opened.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another modified the nesting of the blank on the web.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the container formed from the blank of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view showing the container of FIG. 9 opened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Blank 10 is divided by longitudinal score lines 11, 12, 13 and 14 into a flue flap 15, a first face panel 16, a first side panel 17, a second face panel 18 and a second side panel 19. Transverse score line 20 hingesclosure panels 21 and 23 to face panels 16 and 18, respectively, and dust flaps 22 and 24 to side panels 17 and 19, respectively.

The transverse score line 25 at the other end of the carton hinges closure panels 26 and 27 to face panels 16 and 18, respectively, and dust flap 28 to side panel 19.

Closure panel 26 is divided by a diagonal tear line 29 extending from adjacent corner 30 at score line 25 to a point adjacent opposing corner 31. The tear line divides the closure panel 26 into an outer section 32 adjacent the score line 25 and an underlying section 33 along the free edge of the panel. A cut 34 divides section 33 from the corner 30.

The outer edge 35 of panel 27 coincides with tear line 29 in the set-up container when panel 27 overlies section 33.

A finger hold is provided in the end panel adjacent comer 30. This is formed by an indent section 36 which is defined by score lines 38 and 39 in side panel 17 and dust flap 37.

blank showing The container is formed by first adhering glue flap to the inner face of side panel 19. Dust flaps 22 and 24 are bent inwardly and closure flaps 21 and 23 bent outwardly and glue placed on the inner face of closure panel 23. Panel 21 is then bent inwardly and 23 folded over it to adhere panel 23 to panel 21. The product is placed within the container and dust flaps 28 and 37 are bent inwardly over the product. The bend- 3 ing of dust flap 37 forms the indent section 36. Panels 26 and 27 are folded outwardly and glue placed on the inner face of panel 27. Panel 26 is folded inwardly over the dust flaps and panel 27 folded over it to adhere the panel 27 to the section 33 of panel 26 forming closure panel 41.

The closure panel 41 is opened by grasping the panel at 36 and pulling the panel upwardly, tearing along line 29, to provide access to the contents.

FIGS. 5-7 show a modification of the design for a container having an irregular shape. In this modification the blank 50 is divided by longitudinal score lines 51, 52, 53 and 54 into a glue flap 55, a side panel 56, a face panel 57, a side panel 58, and a face panel 59. The transverse score line 60 hinges dust flaps 61 and 63 to side panels 56 and 58, respectively, and closure panels 62 and 64 to face panels 57 and 59, respectively. The transverse score line 65 hinges closure panels 66 and 68 to face panels 57 and 59, respectively, and dust flap 67 to side panel 58.

The closure panel 68 is divided by a tear line 69, extending from a point adjacent the corner 70 at the score line 65 to a point adjacent the opposite corner 71, into an outer section 72 adjacent the score line 65 and an underlying section 73 along the free edge of the panel. The outer edge 74 of panel 66 is aligned with tear line 69 in the set-up container when the panel 66 overlies and is adhered to the panel 73 to form closure panel 81. Again, a finger hold is formed by the indent section 75 which is adjacent corner 70 in the set-up container. The indent section 75 is formed in the side wall 56 and the dust flap 76 by score lines 77 and 78.

The carton 80 is set up, adhered and opened in the same manner as the carton in FIGS. 1-4.

The modification shown in FIGS. 8 through 10 uses a pulltab on the closure panel in place of the indent section, and is shaped to allow nesting of the blanks on the web.

The blank is divided by longitudinal score lines 91, 92, 93 and 94 into a glue flap 95, a face panel 96, a side panel 97, a face panel 98 and a side panel 99. Transverse score line 100 hinges closure panel 101, dust flap 102, closure panel 103 and dust flap 104 to panels 96, 97, 98 and 99, respectively. Similarly, transverse score line 105 hinges closure panel 106, dust flap 107, closure panel 108 and dust flap 109 to the same respective panels.

The closure panel 106 is divided by diagonal tear line 110, extending between points adjacent comers 111 and 112 into an outer section 113 adjacent the score line and an underlying section 114 adjacent the free edge of the panel. Tear line does not extend all the way to corner 111, but is terminated by cut 115, which divides section 1 14 from the corner 111.

Closure panel 108 has an outer edge 116, which is aligned with tear line 110 in the set-up container when the panel 108 overlies and is adhered to panel 106 to form closure panel 131. The outer corner 1 17 of panel 108 forms a pull-tab which is separated from the rest of the panel by score line 1 18. Score line 118 is adjacent to cut 1 15 in the set-up container.

The outer edge 119 of panel 113 is cut diagonally, and is parallel to tear line 110. The outer edges 120 and 121 of lower closure flaps 101 and 103, respectively, are also cut diagonally to allow nesting of the blanks on the web. This nesting requires that the length of the dust flaps be shorter than in the other modifications.

The container is formed and opened in the same manner as the earlier-described container styles.

What is claimed is:

1. A container having a closure comprising a pair of closure panels hinged to opposing walls one of said panels overlying and being adhered to the other panel,

said overlying panel having a free edge opposite said hinged edge which extends diagonally across said closure, and

said underlying panel having a perforate tear line in substantial alignment with said diagonal free edge of said overlying panel.

2. The container of claim 1 in which said overlying panel has one side edge wider than its opposing side edge, and

said container has a side panel adjacent said wider end which extends inwardly beneath said closure panels to expose said underlying panel and allow said panels to be grasped.

3. The container of claim 1 in which said overlying panel has one side edge wider than its oppos ing side edge,

the corner of said overlying panel formed by said wide edge and said diagonal free edge being free from said underlying panel to form a tab, and

said perforate tear line on said underlying panel extending to said tab.

4. The container of claim 3 in which said underlying panel has a second tear line extending between said first tear line and the free edge of said underlying panel, said second tear line being in alignment with the edge between said adhered panels and said tab.

5. The container of claim 3 in which said tab is defined by a score line extending diagonally across said comer of said overlying panel.

6. A carton blank having four side panels and a pair of closure panels extending outwardly from opposing side panels and being defined by transverse score lines,

one of said closure panels having a diagonal tear line extending between the side edges of said panel,

the other of said closure panels having a diagonally extending outer edge alignable with said tear line in a set-up container.

7. The carton blank of claim 6 in which said other closure panel has one side edge wider than the other side edge, and

a score line extends diagonally across the corner of said other panel formed by said outer edge and said wide side edge. I

8. The carton blank of claim 6 in which said tear line terminates adjacent one side edge and a second tear line extends angularly between said first tear line and said one side edge.

9. The carton blank of claim 8 in which said point of termination is on the end of said tear line closest to said other closure panel.

10. The carton blank of claim 6 in which said other closure panel has one side edge wider than the other side edge, and

the side panel adjacent said wide side edge has a dust flap hinged thereto,

a pair of U-shaped score lines curve toward each other and define the hinge line between said side panel and said dust flap, and

said U-shaped score lines define an indent panel between said side panel and said dust flap.

11. The carton blank of claim 6 in which the free edge of said one closure panel is parallel to said tear line, and

closure panels are on the other end of said opposed side panels, said closure panels having free edges which are parallel to the free edges of said first set of closure panels. 

1. A container having a closure comprising a pair of closure panels hinged to opposing walls one of said panels overlying and being adhered to the other panel, said overlying panel having a free edge opposite said hinged edge which extends diagonally across said closure, and said underlying panel having a perforate tear line in substantial alignment with said diagonal free edge of said overlying panel.
 2. The container of claim 1 in which said overlying panel has one side edge wider than its opposing side edge, and said container has a side panel adjacent said wider end which extends inwardly beneath said closure panels to expose said underlying panel and allow said panels to be grasped.
 3. The container of claim 1 in which said overlying panel has one side edge wider than its opposing side edge, the corner of said overlying panel formed by said wide edge and said diagonal free edge being free from said underlying panel to form a tab, and said perforate tear line on said underlying panel extending to said tab.
 4. The container of claim 3 in which said underlying panel has a second tear line extending between said first tear line and the free edge of said underlying panel, said second tear line being in alignment with the edge between said adhered panels and said tab.
 5. The container of claim 3 in which said tab is defined by a score line extending diagonally across said corner of said overlying panel.
 6. A carton blank having four side panels and a pair of closure panels extending outwardly from opposing side panels and being defined by transverse score lines, one of said closure panels having a diagonal tear line extending between the side edges of said panel, the other of said closure panels having a diagonally extending outer edge alignable with said tear line in a set-up container.
 7. The carton blank of claim 6 in which said other closure panel has one side edge wider than the other side edge, and a score line extends diagonally across the corner of said other panel formed by said outer edge and said wide side edge.
 8. The carton blank of claim 6 in which said tear line terminates adjacent one side edge and a second tear line extends angularly between said first tear line and said one side edge.
 9. The carton blank of claim 8 in which said point of termination is on the end of said tear line closest to said other closure panel.
 10. The carton blank of claim 6 in which said other closure panel has one side edge wider than the other side edge, and the side panel adjacent said wide side edge has a dust flap hinged thereto, a pair of U-shaped score lines curve toward each other and define the hinge line between said side panel and said dust flap, and said U-shaped score lines define an indent panel between said side panel and said dust flap.
 11. The carton blank of claim 6 in which the free edge of said one closure panel is parallel to said tear line, and closure panels are on the other end of said opposed side panels, said closure panels having free edges which are parallel to the free edges of said first set of closure panels. 